Many thanks to mgpc for declaring my recent trip to Hervey Bay was actually compassionate/carers leave.
Many thanks to the elders here, who, despite my having been away for the last two and half weeks, are still insistent that I take some annual leave soon.
Truth is, it’s been about eleven and half months since my last lot of leave and since coming back from Hervey Bay I’m feeling pretty tired. Surprisingly so.
So, sometime in July it will be.
I’m thankful to everyone who cares for me here.
On a related theme, Thom Rainer provides seven keys to preventing pastoral burnout.
If I was inclined to add an eighth it would be ‘Regularly cull non-core-to-calling tasks which accumulate and weigh you down.’
- Remember your call. Ministry can be tough and dirty. It can be frustrating and confusing. But if we remember Who called us and Who sustains us, we are able to persevere. We understand that we are not doing ministry in our own power.
- Pray for your critics. Criticism in one of the most frequently mentioned causes of burnout. Pastors on the other side of burnout told me that they have learned to pray for their critics almost every day. It has given the pastors a fresh perspective. A few pastors even noted significant change in their critics shortly after they started praying for them.
- Wait a day before responding to critics. Somewhat related to number two above, some pastors shared that ministry began to take its toll when they engaged their critics negatively in writing, in person, or by phone. Now these pastors wait a full day before responding, and they are amazed at how differently their responses take shape.
- Be intentional about down time. Pastors need it. Their families need it. Every week. Don’t skip vacations. Go on occasional retreats. Don’t lose your family by trying to save your church.
- Find a friend to share your burden. For some pastors, it was another pastor. For others, it was a retired pastor. Some mentioned that key confidants in the church had become their best friends. Pastors need someone they trust to whom they can unload their burdens.
- Do not neglect your prayer life. Pastors told me repeatedly that, as their prayer life waned, their burnout increased. Prayer was first ongoing conversations with God. But it was also a time for spiritual refueling.
- Do not neglect your time in the Word. We heard similar stories from pastors who began neglecting their time in the Bible. As that time waned, burnout increased. All the pastors noted that time in the Word was time beyond sermon preparation. It was a time of personal devotion and study.
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